Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 24, 2022 15 60 Years Ago: Sept. 29, 1962 A historic drive on offense and a dramatic goal- line stand on defense paved the way for a season- opening 13-7 Notre Dame win at Oklahoma. With the score tied at 7-7, the Irish took the opening possession of the second half with se- nior quarterback Daryle Lamonica at the throttle and navigated 89 yards in 19 plays, capped by Bill Ahern's 9-yard touchdown run. The march took 11:35, the longest recorded time of possession in school history for one series. "You usually can't run 19 plays in a dummy scrimmage without making a mistake," said Irish head coach Joe Kuharich, who improved to 4-0 at Notre Dame in openers. In the fourth quarter, the Sooners drove to a first down at the Irish 3-yard line, but on fourth- and-goal from the 1-yard line Frank Minik recov- ered a fumbled Sooners pitchout at the 12 to help preserve the win. 55 Years Ago: Sept. 23, 1967 Ranked No. 1 in the preseason for the first time since 1953, the reigning national champion Fight- ing Irish opened the season with a 41-8 victory at home versus the California Golden Bears. Quarterback Terry Hanratty completed 15 of 30 passes for 208 yards, highlighted by scoring tosses to team captain Rocky Bleier and Jim Seymour, and he added a team-high 46 rushing yards. Cal scored late and added the two-point con- version to cover the 35-point spread. 50 Years Ago: Sept. 30, 1972 Sophomore quarterback Tom Clements, who debuted a week earlier by completing only 4 of 11 passes for 42 yards with 2 interceptions in a win at Northwestern, detonated against a Pur- due front led by future NFL stars Dave Butz and Gregg Bingham that crowded the line and dared him to pass. Clements completed 17 of 24 passes for 287 yards, highlighted by 62- and 39-yard touchdown passes to split end Willie Townsend and tight end Mike Creaney, respectively, to stake Notre Dame to a 35-0 lead en route to a 35-14 victory versus the Boilermakers. Fellow sophomore Eric Penick carried 12 times for 133 yards and a score. The Irish defense, led by tackles Greg Marx (co-captain) and freshman Steve Niehaus domi- nated a Purdue offense that featured longtime pro quarterback Gary Danielson, and first-round picks Otis Armstrong (running back) and Darryl Stingley (receiver). 45 Years Ago: Sept. 24, 1977 In one of the most important, history-changing quarters at Notre Dame, third-team senior quar- terback Joe Montana rallies the Irish to a 31-24 victory at Purdue. Sidelined in 1976 with a separated shoulder, Montana entered the 1977 season behind starter Rusty Lisch and fellow senior Gary Forystek. Notre Dame was the preseason favorite to win the national title, but the offense was anemic in the first two games, including a 20-13 loss at Ole Miss a week earlier to drop to 1-1, prompting much outcry from the fan base for the dismissal of third-year head coach Dan Devine. The Irish fell behind 10-0 at Purdue before Fo- rystek is inserted to lend a spark. He completed 2 passes before a thundering hit on a scramble ended his college football career. Lisch re-entered to give Notre Dame a 14-10 lead, but Boilermak- ers freshman sensation Mark Hermann, who passed for 351 yards, tossed 2 scoring passes before halftime to put Purdue on top 24-14. In a final desperate move in the fourth quarter, Devine turns to Montana, who as a sophomore in 1975 sparked the Irish in consecutive fourth- quarter wins over North Carolina and Air Force after trailing 14-0 and 30-10, respectively. The Notre Dame sideline and huddle is instantly ener- gized when Montana entered the game. "I was sitting next to my Purdue counterpart and he asked what was going on," recalled the esteemed 1966-95 Notre Dame sports informa- tion director Roger Valdiserri. "I said, 'That's Joe Montana — and you guys are in trouble.'" A shaky Montana's first pass was nearly in- tercepted — one that could have resulted in a pick-six and the ball game — before he settled in to lead three scoring drives, finishing 9-of-14 passing for 154 yards with a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ken MacAfee. The Irish scored the game-winner when third-team fullback Dave Mitchell ran it in from 5 yards out with 1:39 remaining. 10 Years Ago: Sept. 22, 2012 After three consecutive gut-wrenching 11th- hour losses to Michigan in 2009 (38-34), 2010 (28-24) and 2011 (35-31), No. 11 Notre Dame improved to 4-0 with a hard-fought 13-6 win over the Wolverines. Five straight Michigan pass attempts are inter- cepted — two by senior linebacker Manti Te'o, who also pressured quarterback Denard Rob- inson into a third. The Irish forced 6 turnovers overall, while backup quarterback Tommy Rees provided a steadying influence the final three quarters after Everett Golson's 2 first-quarter interceptions. Rees scored the game's lone touchdown on a 2-yard run to give Notre Dame a 10-0 halftime lead. Anniversaries In Notre Dame Football History: Sept. 22-Oct. 6 UNDER THE DOME On Sept. 24, 1977, third-team sophomore quarterback Joe Montana came off the bench in the fourth quarter and completed 9 of 14 passes for 154 yards with 1 touchdown to rally the Fighting Irish to a 31-24 win at Purdue. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS